Sliding-door fastener



{No Model.)

J JOHNSTON 82; J. M. COOPER.

' SLIDING DOOR FASTENER.

Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

, PNOTUHTNUWASNINGTOK 0.6.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN JOHNSTON AND JOHN M. COOPER, OF BELLEVUE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SLIDING-D0015! FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,856, dated Eebruary 4, 1896.

Application filed May 17, 1895. Serial No. 549,678. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN JOHNSTON and JOHN M. COOPER, citizens of the United States, residing at Bellevue, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Looks for Sliding Doors, which will be readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 represents a car-door latch the front plate of which is removed to exhibit its interior construction. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical and central section of the same.

To construct our improved sliding-door lock or latch we make a suitable case A, the walls of which may be solid or of skeleton form. Transversely through the center of this case is a circular opening through which is passed or introduced a spindle B, having on each outer end thereof a suitable knob or handle C. Rigidly secured to that portion of the aforesaid spindle within the case are two latorally-projecting arms D, arranged at an obtuse angle to each other. The outer end of each arm is furnished with a downwardly-projecting hook E, designed to enter and catch over a suitable keeper F on each door-post, so that when the car-door is slid in either direction the aforesaid hooks will engage their respective keepers and hold the door open or shut as the case may require.

Projecting downwardly within the case and rigidly attached to the aforesaid spindle is a stout arm G, the lower end of which is pivoted to a short plunger or moving piece H, adapted to slide within a tube I pivoted to the bottom portion of the inclosing case. Within this tube and immediately underneath the plunger or moving piece I within it is a strong spiral spring J, which constantly tends to force the moving piece within the tube upward and outward. This construction is such that when the knob or handle C is turned so as to raise one of the aforesaid hooks and disengage it from its keeper the other hook will be correspondingly depressed. This action will cause the short arm to force downward the plunger H against the spring J and cause the several parts pivoted thereto ing a lock or latch of this construction attached to or near one edge of a sliding cardoor K, and a beveled keeper F on each stationary door-post, it will be understood that when the door is closed the latch will engage the keeper on the door-post toward which the dooris slid, and thereby hold the door shut. By turning the knob or handle so as to release the latch the door may be slid open until its latch engages the keeper on the opposite door-post, whereby the door will be held open.

Having thus described our improvement, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A door lock or latch consisting of a suitable case or framein combination with a transverse spindle which has laterally-projecting hooks each adapted to catch over a keeper arranged in or on a post on either side of a doorway, a downwardly-projecting arm and a spring in connection therewith to throw said arm suddenly to either side of a vertical line.

2. A door lock or latch consisting of a suitable case or frame in combination with a transverse spindle which has laterally-projecting hooks each adapted to catch over a keeper arranged in or on apost on either side of the doorway, a downwardly-projecting arm the lower end of which is pivoted to a moving piece or plunger adapted to slide within a tube pivoted to the inclosing case, and a spiral spring within said tube underneath the plunger, so that the projecting arm when moved to a position on either side of a vertical line will cause a sudden movement up or down of the respective hooks whereby they will become engaged or disengaged from their respective keepers in the door-posts.

JOHN JOHNSTON. JOHN M. COOPER. "Witnesses WM. 13. KIRKER, A. O. JOHNSTON. 

